Iran announces another step away from 2015 nuclear deal

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday said his country would begin injecting uranium gas into more than 1,044 centrifuges, marking another break with its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal(JCPOA).

He said he would instruct Iran's nuclear authority to begin injecting uranium gas into the centrifuges as of Wednesday.

"Gas will be injected into centrifuges at Fordow as part of part of our fourth step to reduce our nuclear commitments to the deal," Rouhani said in a televised speech.

The move further complicates the chances of saving the nuclear deal, which European powers have called on Iran to respect.

"The announcement by Iran. goes against the Vienna agreement, which strictly limits activities in this area," French foreign ministry spokeswoman Agnes von der Muhll said.

"We want to find a way forward through constructive international dialogue but Iran needs to stand by the commitments it made and urgently return to full compliance."

Under the nuclear deal signed in 2015 by Iran, the US, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia, these centrifuges are supposed to spin without gas injection. Tehran has gradually reduced commitments made under the accord - including uranium stockpile and enrichment limits - since being hit with renewed US sanctions last year.

Rouhani gave his European partners another two-month deadline to protect Iran's economy from crippling US sanctions.

"We can't unilaterally accept that we completely fulfill our commitments and they don't follow up on their commitments," he added. Source: Aljazeera